Many organisations miss a trick when it comes to developing their people in that they forget to enable their Managers to be great career allies. Whether that be practically giving them the time to have 121s, or equipping them with the skills to have great career conversations, it’s often missing. However, as someone who wants to move their career forwards, it’s not worth waiting for things to happen around you. Plus, your career isn’t the responsibility of your Manager, it’s yours. So here are 3 tips for getting in the driving seat and helping your Manager to help your career:
1. Ask for dedicated career time We’ve all fallen into the trap of having a 121 that turns into a discussion about work rather than your own development or career. To stop this happening, take charge of the time. Presuming your 121 is 60 minutes, set aside 40 for operational items (after all, your Manager is extremely valuable when it comes to this stuff), but from now on, set aside a sacred 20 mins to discuss your career, personal development, and feedback. Beforehand, tell your Manager the plan to set their expectations (don’t ambush them!). Ensure you own the agenda, don’t let the 20 minutes slip away otherwise the only thing suffering is your career.
2. Make feedback normal We live in a culture where if you ask someone ‘have you got any feedback for me?’ they’re most likely to freeze and say something beige such as ‘you’re doing great, keep going’ – i.e., something that isn’t useful at all. This is because good feedback has to be thought through and meaningful. Therefore, talk with your Manager in your next 121 about the need for you to gather ongoing feedback to keep your development moving. Set the expectation that this will form part of your ‘career 20 minutes’ in each of your 121s. Start to use a frame such as ‘what would you like to see less of and more of from me?’, or even ask the simple question each time of ‘how can I add even more value to you and the team?’. Again, if your Manager knows that you will ask these questions every time, they can have thought about it beforehand. (Side Note: Use these questions with your other stakeholders too!)
3. Be responsible for your PDP To enhance the outcomes of your newly focused 121’s and keep yourselves on track with your career aspirations and personal development, it’s always useful to have an agenda. But my recommendation here is not to waste time writing an agenda each time, but rather use your personal development plan (PDP) as the agenda itself. This document will help you review actions taken, feedback received and most importantly the ‘so what’ and ‘what’s next’. Most people only look at their PDP when they write it, then let it gather dust for 12 months! If you regularly use and update it, you will notice the step change in your personal development for sure. If you don’t have a PDP document or something that’s easy for you to use, then feel free to reach out as we have a template we’d be glad to share.
Summary: You’re in the driving seat of your career, your Manager is simply your co-pilot. Make life easy for them but putting some checks and balances in place: clear time for career conversations, set expectations around the feedback that’s most valuable to you, and a find practical place to document your career plan and progress. These three things are what I class as the holy trinity of careers – set them up, stick to the routine and you won’t go far wrong.
If you need any support with your own career, or you’re a Manager who wants to get even better at supporting your people, reach out! [email protected]