5 Questions To Take Charge Of Your Career Planning

Written by: Michelle Schafer, Senior Level Executive Contributor

Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.

When was the last time you had a conversation with your leader about your career development? And leaders ‒ when was the last time you talked to your team members about this topic?

Last week, I facilitated a workshop focused on career planning. The sponsor was offering something to their employees that's the gold standard ‒ giving them the tools and resources to reflect on their career intention and then helping them with strategies to take action.

The main message I offered this group? Career planning is a journey, it's not an event. It is ongoing as the priorities in our life and career change over time.

It requires hitting the "pause" button on your career every now and then, reflecting on work that fuels you, your values and whether the work you do (and where you do it) aligns with your values.

It requires research ‒ digging deep to explore possibilities.

And it requires conversation. Talking about your career goals. To your leader. To others in your circle. This conversation is not one way ‒ although team members need to take charge of their own career development, they also need leaders who will support them on this journey.

Leaders ‒ you can ask 5 key questions to get the conversation started:

• What aspects of your work give you energy?

• What aspects of your work detract from that energy, or are frustrating/challenging?

• What would you like to do and haven't had the opportunity to do yet?

• What areas of our organization are you interested in learning more about?

• How can I support you? (perhaps it's providing a job shadow opportunity or making a connection)

And team members ‒ you don't need to wait until your leader initiates this conversation. Show that you are taking charge of your career development and initiate this conversation ‒ at a time different from your annual performance review.

What are you doing to take charge of your career planning?

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Michelle Schafer, Senior Level Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Michelle Schafer is an International Coaching Federation Certified Coach and Facilitator specializing in career transition and leadership. She is the owner and founder of Michelle Schafer Coaching, empowering people to achieve career fulfillment. Michelle has personally experienced two significant career transitions through restructuring and has reinvented herself for new careers both times. She deeply understands the physical, emotional and mental impact associated with a job search. Michelle is passionate about people and inspired by their progress, working with clients at all levels of an organization and across sectors including federal and municipal government, high tech, not-for-profit and financial services. Michelle offers coaching 1:1 in groups and recently was certified in the foundations of team coaching with the Global Team Coaching Institute.