Changing Careers for Changing Times

Changing Careers for Changing Times Central Iowa STC Linda Oestreich, March 23, 2006 Who am I?        Manager, Technical Publications, HP/Peregrine STC Fellow STC 2nd Vice-President Houston and San Diego member SIGs: International, Technical Editing, Management Booklover (bookcrossing.com) Contact me: www.lindao.org w: 858-720-5437 Oestreich: 03/23/06 2 Overview  Understand how careers develop  Find your career best  Test your career-change championship  Wrap-up and questions Oestreich: 03/23/06 3 Career Management Model  Based on article by Kurt Sandholtz, Novations Group, Inc., a Provo, Utah, company that helps organizations design & implement career-development systems  From research by Harvard Business School professors, Gene Dalton and Paul Thompson Handout: A Career Management Model, Dr. Dobb’s Journal, Fall 1998. Developing long-term employability by Kurt Sandholtz. www.developercareers.com/ddj/articles/1998 Oestreich: 03/23/06 4 Assumptions  Ancient pyramid no longer exists in career development.  Companies are flattening the management structure.  We understand what we should do for success of a project, but not what’s needed for our long-term development. Oestreich: 03/23/06 5 Some Companies That Use Model  Monsanto  3M  Exxon/Mobil  Amoco  Intel  DuPont  Sandia National Laboratories Oestreich: 03/23/06 6 Four Stages of a Career  Apprentice  Independent  Mentor  Visionary Oestreich: 03/23/06 7 Apprentice: Depending on Others  Work is never entirely your own.  Your assignment is part of a larger effort.  You are expected to do most of the detailed and routine work for your part of the contribution.  You have to earn the trust of your manager and colleagues. Oestreich: 03/23/06 8 Requirements for Apprentice  Accept supervision and direction willingly.  Exercise initiative and creativity within a welldefined area.  Work with a mentor to learn organization savvy. Oestreich: 03/23/06 9 Independent: Going it Alone  Assume responsibility for a definable portion of a work or process.  Work independently and produce results that are recognized as your own.  Develop credibility and a reputation for competent work.  Manage more of your own time and be more accountable for outcomes. Oestreich: 03/23/06 10 Requirements for Independent      Rely less on supervisor or mentor for direction. Become true team player. Willingly share information with fellow team members. Develop solid technical foundation and confidence in your own judgment. Cultivate your own standards of performance. Oestreich: 03/23/06 11 Mentor: Helping Others  Equip others with tools, knowledge, and opportunity they need to succeed.  Take personal interest in careers of others and help their development.  Lead multiperson projects, but may not have management responsibilities.  Think creatively and be well-networked. Oestreich: 03/23/06 12 Requirements for Mentor       Ability to contribute through others. Develop greater breadth of technical skills and apply them across multiple areas. Build a network outside own workgroup. Become involved in the stimulation of others through ideas and information. Exhibit strong interpersonal skills. Willing to pull away from strictly technical work. Oestreich: 03/23/06 13 Visionary: Organizational Leader       Exercise significant influence over critical decisions in the organization. Help shape future direction of the company. Represent the organization in wide and varied interactions inside and outside the organization. Sponsor promising people who might fill future key roles in the organization. Maintain extensive network outside organization. Attain broadening perspective and lengthening time horizons. Oestreich: 03/23/06 14 Requirements for Visionary  Champion new systems, processes, and operating principles that improve productivity.  Work closely with management or peers to help sell ideas.  Understand what builds the organization’s ability to compete in the marketplace.  See new business opportunities and assemble the buy-in, money, and staff to pursue them (entrepreneur). Oestreich: 03/23/06 15 Visionary as Sponsor Influence direction of the organization through by selecting and developing key people.  Make sure key people are not stagnating on unchallenging projects.  Oestreich: 03/23/06 16 Points to Note  Research shows that less than 5% of an organization’s workforce functions as Visionary (Stage 4)  As much as 60% of a workforce at any one time is in Stage 2 and making valuable contributions as independent.  Making a temporary transition to an earlier development stage is often essential to longterm career growth! 17 Oestreich: 03/23/06 Managers by Stage Over Time Stage 1 2 3 % Managers 1979 0 1 34 % Managers 1998 0 2 14 4 74 Oestreich: 03/23/06 33 18 Questions? Comments? Oestreich: 03/23/06 19 What was your best-ever job? Oestreich: 03/23/06 20 Why did it give you career satisfaction?       Doing the impossible Being challenged Having autonomy Seeing importance of your work Learning something new Working with a great team       Having solid management support Having clear goals Doing something new Using creativity Owning whole task Feeling recognized 21 Oestreich: 03/23/06 Think TOP for Career Best Talents Passions Organization Needs Oestreich: 03/23/06 22 Talents Innate abilities  Inborn strengths  Things you do naturally well  You just ―have a knack‖ for it!  Oestreich: 03/23/06 23 Organization Needs  Job contribution  What you do adds value  What you do helps company improve  What you do helps others in company improve Oestreich: 03/23/06 24 Passions Work offers a heart connection.  Work fascinates, stimulates, captivates, enthralls you.  Something you’d do even if you weren’t paid!  Oestreich: 03/23/06 25 TOP equation Talents + Organization Need + Passion = Career Best! (Take TOP assessment!) Oestreich: 03/23/06 26 Two out of three? Talents + Organization Needs – Passion = STUCK  Organization Needs + Passion – Talents = INCOMPETENCE  Talents + Passion – Organization Needs = OCCUPATIONAL HOBBY (take test to see if you’re at a career best)  Oestreich: 03/23/06 27 Questions? Oestreich: 03/23/06 28 Changing Careers        Some can; some can’t Ability to take leap of faith Needs superior social skills Possess resilience, versatility, and an ability to exploit serendipity Incorporate failures into advantages Learn from mistakes Willingness to leave ―comfort zone‖ Handout: Are you a career-change champion? Oestreich: 03/23/06 29 To summarize— Position Yourself for ―Luck‖ Get thee to the valley or the city or the . . .  Work, work, work.  Battle the bad luck.  Get and stay positive.  Do what you love.  Do core, not context.  From ―Getting Chance to Dance‖ by Michelle Jeffers, www.forbes.com/asap, 11.27.00 Oestreich: 03/23/06 30 Final Thoughts? Oestreich: 03/23/06 31