5 wise tips to build a successful career

We’ve all had the thought “If I’d only known what I know now when I was in my 20’s”. It’s now an old cliché. Given the wisdom we accumulate with age is not new and was certainly available when I was in my 20’s (see quotes below), I think a more apt statement is “If only I’d listened”. I know that in my 20’s I thought I knew better than everyone else and consequently, didn’t search out the wisdom available to me and didn’t listen to it when others tried to contribute their wisdom. So it’s taken me 56 years to accumulate what I know now, some of which required that amount of time, and a lot that didn’t.

So having forewarned you, here are 5 lessons I’ve learnt along the way that work for me and are foundational in the work that I do with my clients.

1. Take on the journey of self-awareness

Find a mentor, not someone who will tell you what to do, but someone who will help you ask the right questions about yourself. The more you know and understand yourself, the more you can create beyond your boundaries.

“The unexamined life is not worth living” – Socrates

2. Determine what is important to you (your values)

Now live consistent with those values. To begin with, it will require some evolution as you sort out what is, and what is not important, but you will sort it out. Values are the signposts that guide you and provide the pathway required to fulfil on your purpose in life. 

“Your values become your destiny” – Mahatma Gandhi

3. Walk the talk

Do what you say you are going to do, keep your promises and commitments, turn up on time! Nothing builds trust and credibility more effectively and without these attributes, you will never achieve what you are capable of achieving. 

“Whoever walks in integrity will be delivered, but he who is crooked in his ways will suddenly fall” - Proverbs 28:18

4. Don’t be a victim 

I.e. don't blame something other than yourself for your circumstances. It robs you of the power to deal powerfully with what life dishes out. Always start with how you have contributed to why it is the way it is before you start to point the finger. This is a responsible perspective and will have you be proactive, not reactive. 

“The price of greatness is responsibility.” Winston S. Churchill

5. Value your relationships 

And manage the quality of your relationships over time. Your career will be a function of the relationships you create and manage over time. Ensure that you provide value as well as receive value and don’t be afraid to ask people “What’s important to you in this relationship?’ because you will then know how to provide value for them.

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go with others.” African Proverb

Reading the above 5 points will make no difference in your career unless you act on them in some way. So my parting piece of wisdom is to translate your thoughts into actions, any action to start with will make a bigger difference than no action. 

What actions can you take based on the 5 points outlined above?

By: Joe Watkins

Source: HR Daily

How to Be a Career-Loving Parent: Know Your Work-Life Options

The first installment of this series introduced the idea that "working parent" is a phrase of resignation. With that choice of words, we give up the idea that we can be passionate about both work and family. We resign ourselves to a life in which we can only really be good at one thing. Instead, if we choose to think of ourselves as "career-loving parents," we open up whole new worlds of possibilities for our families, for our careers, and for ourselves. In this installment, we'll look at the many work-life options available to today's career-loving parents.

Before we jump into work options, let's have a quick review of what it takes to be a career-loving parent -- a term I stole from Sheryl Sandberg, who stole it from Caroline O'Connor. While simply changing the words we use makes a big difference in the possibilities we perceive, it also helps to take some concrete steps to integrate our lives as parents with our lives as workers. Here are those steps:

• Know your work-life style. Do you like to integrate work with the rest of your life, separate work from the rest of your life, or do you like to switch focus back and forth as needed? We covered this in the second article, so jump over to that one if you haven't read it yet.
• Know your work-life options. In today's world of work, there are more choices than just working outside the home or staying home with the family.
• Get smart. Regardless of your work-life style and your particular work arrangement, you can make the most of your circumstances with a few simple tricks.

Know your options for when, where, and how you work

Today's world of work is filled with more options than ever before. Thanks to evolving technology, shifting expectations, and research that proves great work can be done in a host of times, places, and styles, anyone with reliable access to a computer, the internet, and a strong work ethic (don't forget that one) can design a career to fit his life -- and a life to fit his career.

Of course, each option has its advantages and disadvantages. You might trade stability of income for flexibility of schedule, or time with family for benefits that take care of them. Whichever option you choose, make it consciously. Consult with both your family and your coworkers. Weigh the tradeoffs mindfully. If you're having trouble figuring out which option is best, though, see if you can arrange some controlled experiments.

If you're having trouble figuring out which option is best, though, see if you can arrange some controlled experiments. Maybe your current full-time, out-of-the-house job is willing to try one work-from-home day weekly. Or maybe you can try working on your home-based business from a co-working space while the kids are at school. Don't fall into the trap of believing that these are your only options -- or that you can only choose one. Instead, think of the table below as a palette from which you can choose one, two, or many colors for your portrait of the ideal career-loving parent.

Huffington Post Image

Are there more options than you thought? Are you already thinking of ways you can creatively combine or experiment with these options to design a meaningful, fun, and fulfilling life? Share your story of being -- or aspiring to be -- a career-loving parent in the comments below. Other readers would love to hear from you!

Oh, and come on back next week when we'll dive into the "get smart" step of becoming a career-loving parent, in which we refine what we've learned from the first two steps for the difference that makes a difference.

Dig new ideas about how to integrate your work into a meaningful, fun, and fulfilling life? Trying to keep your head and your heart while keeping your job? You might enjoy my weekly updates.

By: Eryc Eyl

Source: Huffington Post Australia

10 Tips for Managing Expectations Before Going on Parental Leave

Before going on maternity or extended parental leave, it’s important to establish realistic expectations with your clients (if you deal directly with them), your manager, and your team. This is particularly important if you plan on returning to the same role when you come back to work.

Consider how you would like to ‘stay connected’ whilst you are on parental leave. Communicate your intentions both verbally and in a written format (for example, via email) to all relevant parties to ensure they are informed.

10 Tips for Managing Client and Team Expectations

The following tips will ensure your transition to parental leave is as smooth as possible.

1. Determine what work will be performed differently or undertaken by others during your pregnancy or leave, and discuss this with your manager.
2. Decide when you will commence your parental leave and how much leave you would like to take.
3. Communicate any changes to your normal role and/or responsibilities to your colleagues, clients and any direct reports. 
4. Work with your manager to ascertain if your position will need to be performed by another person(s) during your parental leave and plan to allow for a sufficient hand-over period.
5. Document the key aspects of your role, including processes, contacts, relationship management details and histories. Ensure this documentation is easily accessible for relevant colleagues in your absence.
6. Prepare for and conduct a thorough hand-over session with the relevant people handling your workload during your parental leave. 
7. Provide your ‘on leave’ contact details (if appropriate) and indicate how frequently you will be checking emails and voicemail.
8. Contact your key clients prior to going on leave to explain when you plan to go on leave. Assure them of the plans that are in place to ensure continued delivery of service. Provide them with new contact details.
9. If someone is looking after your role while you are on leave, consider having them as your key contact. 
10. Update your ‘Out of Office’ message (or similar) with the agreed contact details and timeframe of your absence.

You could add to this list any company / job role / team specific tasks you also need to complete.