The best careers are built in the quiet moments. How will you show up in September?
August gives us something that’s in desperately short supply for the rest of the year: space to think.
By September, we will be back-to-back again. New projects will be kicking off, promotions discussed and opportunities handed out. Use August to think about how you will differentiate yourself so that you are first in line.
These questions might get you started:
- Would you promote you? If not, why not?
- If I asked your colleagues to describe you in just three words, what would they say? Do those words take you where you want to go?
- What’s been the best thing you’ve achieved so far this year? Who knows about it? Should you be better at blowing your own trumpet?
- What do you know about most (systems, customers, products, regulation, markets, competitors, data, technology, AI, operations, risk, internal processes, culture, stakeholders or how things really get done)? How can you build on this to make a more visible contribution?
What doesn’t get done when you are on holiday is often a clue as to what you do best… or it could be what gets shoved on your plate that you need to remove from now on.
Untapped data is often a good place to look for wins. What data is your organisation already collecting that you could use to improve decision-making, performance, profitability or customer experience?
In a world where AI does more of the grunt work, being competent is no longer enough. The winners will be those who stand out by building strong relationships, apply fresh thinking to problems and show up with gravitas and confidence.
- Score yourself on those. How can you improve?
- How much of your time is taken up with crazy busy work that doesn’t really make a difference? What can you trade off to do more of the good stuff that moves you up? Do it now before your calendar gets full of meetings you shouldn’t be in.
- Who or what inspires you to raise your game? Are you hanging out with other aspirational people and reading content that sharpens your thinking?
Enjoy the rest of the summer — and use some of its white space to give your career more edge.
I’ll donate £50 when anyone makes a booking for a Career Review Session in August, September and October (or any other talk, workshop or coaching) to Ruby’s Fund for Children’s Cancer Research to mark what should have been our friend Ruby Fuller’s 25th birthday this October.