Plan.

NOTE: To get the most from this page, please first read “About.”

Most of us start our career with a pretty good idea on what we’d like to try, and not yet crystal clear on why, or what comes next.

I remember in my 20’s, feeling really challenged when my manager asked me “Where do you want to be in 5 years?”. I found I drifted between two responses:

• I knew what I wanted to do in the next 6 to 12 months, but 5 years?!, and
• I knew where I wanted to get to but didn’t know how to get there.

Since then, I have learnt so much more about the realities of work and home – and everything in-between. I’ve developed personally and professionally, and with that I now have many more tools at my disposal to ensure that I’m easily aware of my strengths, motivators and aspirations. And I have these tools, because I had a plan – but not just any old plan… MyPlan. But more on that later… first…

What’s a plan?

A plan is an intention or decision about what one is going to do.

By working on a plan for your own career, you will create a sense of anticipation, intention and excitement about your present and your future. Your goals do not have to be ‘all work and no play’ – yes, it could be that promotion or career pivot, but it could also be having more time to garden or buying an investment property.

“Regardless of the goals you set yourself, the plan provides focus for your daily energy, hope for your future and a great appreciation for where you’ve been and where you’re headed.“

What is in a plan?

When developing a career plan, there are three important elements to keep in mind:

• Plans should be dynamic: Career plans rarely withstand 5 years. Life will throw curve balls (exciting and otherwise) that you can’t anticipate – that’s ok. Some of those curve balls will uncover new meaning and opportunity, that you otherwise couldn’t see. You shouldn’t be so ridged with your plan that you miss out on these moments.
• Plans should be concise: With life as an ever changing situation, it makes sense your plan is easy to reference and update. To this end, keep it simple, to the point and covering what REALLY matters to you and your future.
• Plans should be made in collaboration: Discussing your plan with a trusted partner, friend or mentor will help you better explore your needs, constructively challenge your thinking and help you dig deeper so you set goals that really matter to ‘all’ of you.

“A good career plan acts as a guide to
tangibly work towards your goals, and activate others
to help you along the way.”

With this in mind, there are three more points to consider when developing your career plan. A great career plan should provide you with:

• Clarity on the critical – bite sized bits of powerful information, that are easy to remember
• An anchor – so when you’re in the middle of executing your plan, your plan reminds you why you started in the first place. This prevents you drifting or loosing energy.
• Milestones – to act as markers or a guide towards your goals. A great plan has big and small action items that need to be completed in order to get to your goal. This helps track progress and celebrate how far you’ve come.

I’ve developed a template that I use with My C3 Careers clients, which might help you get started. I mentioned it earlier in this blog – it’s called MyPlan.

What’s MyPlan?

In short, it’s a super helpful template that I’ve been working on for the past 10 years, and now forms one of the the tools in My C3 Careers toolbelt. MyPlan helps you consider what motivates you, what your skills and experiences are, what you must have and where you want to be – all on the same page. Once you’ve done that, you can fill in your action plan – ready for your next development conversation with your manager!

If you’d like to know more about MyPlan, please get in touch with me..