Work and career planning are one of the best places to put strategic thinking into action. There are few better uses of planning and strategy than to chart out one’s desired career path.
The process is exactly the same as any other use of strategic planning. It does require multiple iterations of the process over time. You will also need to work either forward or backward to create an overall strategic plan to get where it is you want to go.
First, you have to get clear about what your career goals are and what it is you want to accomplish. This will naturally require more self-reflection. Are you happy in your current field or do you plan to change to something else? If so, what?
How high in your field do you want to get? Do you want to be in charge one day or will you be satisfied with a smaller role? There are no right or wrong answers – just the right answer for you.
This is the most important part of the process, though it may not be as difficult or take you as much time as other portions. You must be absolutely sure of your goals before you move on. You might change your mind later, of course, because it happens, and then you can change your plan, but you need to be as sure as possible at the point at which you create the plan.
Next, you need to look at the endpoint and what it will take to get there. What education do you need to have? Have you got the necessary experience? What are the requirements for the position you ultimately want to have? Write all of this down so you have the answers in front of you.
When you have finished identifying the requirements, move on and list the things you already have that are on the list. These are things you have already accomplished. Your plan is going to concentrate on getting you the rest of the way there.
Look at the gulf between the requirements you meet and those you have yet to attain and create a plan for getting there. You can either work backward from the goal or forward toward it. It does not matter, as long as you come up with a workable plan using the process outlined earlier in this series.
When you are done, you will have a workable plan to take you from the present day to what you want to be the highlight of your career. All that will remain is the hardest part – putting said plan into action and seeing it through. Adding strategic thinking to your work goals.