By Neelima Chakara
Are you busier than ever but miss the excitement and satisfaction you once felt in your job? You know what it feels like to be a star performer. You’ve been on the fast track to success, received outstanding performance reviews, and worked on prestigious projects that caught the attention of senior leadership.
However, things have changed. The strategies that once worked for you no longer yield the same results. Each day feels repetitive, and you can’t remember the last time you felt enthusiastic and challenged by your work. Your efforts go unnoticed, leaving you frustrated and unsure how to improve the situation. You find yourself hoping for the miracle that your boss will recognize your dedication. It’s as if you’ve become a victim of the politics, culture, and lack of transparency within your organization, and it seems like things can only go downhill from here.
Alice Walker once said, “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.”
The first step to find a solution is believing you are in control. This belief empowers you to seek out answers. It is the foundation of a growth mindset. It allows you to evaluate what is and isn’t working for you, learn from your experiences, and determine your next steps.
With the understanding that you hold the key to your career’s success, there are five essential elements to consider to supercharge your career. These are –
- Clarity, 2. Control, 3. Charge, 4. Connection, and 5. Courage.
Let’s delve into each one of them:
Clarity: Lewis Carroll famously said, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.” If you want to build a fulfilling career, ask yourself important questions like the following. It would help to get input from your boss and other stakeholders on some of these questions.
- What excites you about your job? How much time do you spend doing the work that excites you?
- How can you add more of them to your role?
- What does success at work look like?
- How does your role contribute to the organization’s purpose?
- Which relationships are crucial for your success?
- What behaviors and actions are rewarded in your organization?
- If you’ve been in your current role for a while and feel ready for a new challenge, consider the kind of role you aspire to and the qualities you need to succeed.
Control: Once you have established clarity, evaluate if you are in control of everything that is expected from you in your role. Ask yourself the following questions –
- Are you effectively fulfilling the purpose of your role?
- Do you have control over the responsibilities assigned to you?
- Do you consistently meet your commitments and deadlines?
- Do your stakeholders have confidence in your ability to lead?
Meeting your goals is a basic requirement to succeed. If you do not have control over your deliverables, consider what will help you be a consistent and reliable performer. Do you need additional training or skills? Do you have the resources you need to succeed? Is it possible that you’re in the wrong role? If yes, how can you find opportunities that align with your skills and temperament?
Charge: Taking charge of your career is often a struggle for mid-career professionals. They believe they’re doing great work but not receiving the recognition they deserve. They feel confused, frustrated, and occasionally angry.
From an early age, we’re taught that hard work leads to success. This philosophy works during our school years. We study diligently, perform well on exams, and receive rewards such as good grades, medals, and certificates at the end of the year. However, professional life is different. Putting your head down and focusing solely on your work won’t earn you accolades, especially as a mid-to-senior-level professional.
Look around you. At your current level, everyone is bright, hardworking, and competitive. Meeting goals is now a basic requirement. To stand out, you must display leadership qualities which includes shining the spotlight on your accomplishments. Here are some reflection prompts to help you take charge of your career:
- Do you know what your boss’s biggest priority is at the moment?
- Are you involved in that particular project?
- Do people outside your team recognize your unique expertise?
- Have you communicated your aspirations for a promotion to your boss?
- How have you assisted your boss in making a business case for your next promotion?
Connections: Fewer roles are available once you reach a certain level in the organizational hierarchy. Your success increasingly depends on your ability to collaborate and influence others. The more senior you become, the more critical it is to build strong connections up, down, and across your organization. Reflect on your relationships within the workplace by considering the following questions:
- Are you a trusted ally of your boss?
- Do you have a supportive network both within and outside your organization?
- Do you proactively help others?
- Do you know your boss and colleagues as individuals?
- Do your colleagues know your strengths, passions, and pet peeves?
Courage: Courage is a fundamental element that applies to all aspects of life, whether personal or professional. Our minds are programmed to resist change and protect the status quo. When we want to make a change, we often encounter internal resistance -we have numerous reasons not to take action, and we remain stuck in our old ways.
Nelson Mandela said, “Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it!” Consider how courage can enhance all the other Cs in your life. Afterall, you need the courage to –
- Gain clarity about your role.
- Express to your boss that you’re ready for new challenges.
- Step out of your comfort zone and acquire new skills.
- Forge new connections with colleagues and industry professionals.
- Have the courage to address and rectify what isn’t working.
- Adopt new behaviors that benefit your growth.
- Consider leaving a dead-end job or a toxic work environment.
Evaluate yourself based on these 5 Cs and determine the actions necessary to earn a reputation as a consistently outstanding performer, increase your impact and influence, and gain the opportunities you desire and deserve.
I understand it is not easy. The good news is that you don’t have to navigate it alone. If you want to accelerate your career, consider working with a coach. A coach can help you develop a new mindset, employ effective strategies, and gain a fresh perspective to create a fulfilling career that enables you to make a real impact and achieve the desired roles and rewards.
(The author is Neelima Chakara, and the views expressed in this article are her own)
