My dad joined the Posts & Telegraphs soon after his graduation and retired in that organisation after a very productive and fulfilling career for over 35 years. This is perhaps very common with the baby boomer and earlier generation. Such a career pattern is quite atypical now. In my 30-year-long career, I switched jobs five times and enjoyed the new challenges and opportunities that accompanied such changes. While I do not necessarily advocate becoming a rolling stone (that gathers no mass or very little!), what I am emphasising on is the need to craft a career vision that guides our progress.
Career vision
There is another reason too, that makes it necessary. The roller-coaster business landscape reminds one of the proverbial “Damocles Sword” hanging over the head. It becomes imperative, therefore, to remain career-resilient right through one’s professional journey. Vision is often a term we hear in the corporate world to describe an organisation’s long-term focus. Vision can also be understood as a guiding light that will give day-to-day direction and purpose. Prof Warren Bennis, in his book Leaders refers to vision in terms of mental images and models that will bring focus to the decisions we make in our daily work and life.
Simply expressed, a career vision is a clear mental picture of a desirable future of our career. Important to note that it is not mystical, but simply a well-thought out insight into what you want to accomplish. While it may represent a career destination one wishes to accomplish, it should not be considered a final resting place, but rather a dynamic future state.
Visioning has become a fad in the management world. However, when we talk of career vision, we do not mean anything closer to making it a fad. It must be as realistic as feasible and examined at regular intervals to ensure its relevance. Therefore, there are no “ten easy steps” to writing a vision. Nor do you borrow a line or two from a role model to craft your own. It is neither easy nor trivial. There is no one sure-fire or analytical process to follow. It can actually prove to be messy, intuitive but a very inspirational process.
It perhaps begins with searching deep inside as to what is your purpose in life. This requires reflection. You may like to ask questions such as:
What does success mean for me?
How do I define happiness in life?
What is my definition of productive relationships at work and at home?
How am I different from others in terms of desires, aspirations, and abilities?
What costs (health, relationships, happiness) am I willing to pay to chase success and wealth?
What do I think of significance beyond success?
How do I intend to create an impact to the people I manage and work with?
What is the inner calling and am I able to see it, hear it and respond to it?
These are perhaps, more to reflect on than the illustrative list above. It is important to also recognise that a career vision is about expanding your perspective on a continuous basis. This requires watching the world around you and making sense of it. This will help you live purposefully and avoid being discouraged by setbacks or challenges that appear insurmountable.
A long way ahead
Remember that crafting a vision is only a starting point. Even more important is applying the vision with clear plans. Remaining career-resilient involves ensuring your skills and competencies are current and in-line with what the market demands and values. One of the critical aspects of planning is also considering higher studies that will augment your opportunities in a world that continuously demands updates. Many suffer from the “arrival syndrome” after an MBA or similar qualifications. We “discover” good reasons why we cannot find time to read and update knowledge.
As a visiting professor at many leading B-Schools, I have reason to worry that many students have no appetite for reading, beyond what is required for clearing their exams. With some, I grow even more worrisome. When I ask for reviewing books and sharing it in the class room, they take the easier route of “downloading” ready-made reviews on the net and bring it to the class, without reading the book.
Many MBAs are keen to be CEO-ing soon. But then, there is this disconnect between their aspirations and abilities and efforts they make to get there. Many do not make continuous learning their strength and take advancement for granted with an MBA as a licence to life-long growth.
So, the career vision is key, but consciously planning to build the knowledge, skills competencies and contributes in all our jobs are the vehicles that will help us get there. I often leave a message with the students I teach: “To grow older is natural, but to grow up is completely optional.” Those who do not get this do not get too far in their career despite a vision.
To read more from the From the Coach section, click here .