Becoming The Obvious Choice

This topic will need to be covered in several separate posts!!!

Part 1

"Time for a Reality Check"

Let's face it. Not every person is cut out for every job. For some, promotions into management can be a disastrous career step.

Many times the best salesperson is promoted into sales management. Within a month or even less, that same "best sales person" has created nothing but chaos for the once crack sales team, customers and everybody else. An excellent nurse may not be a good nursing supervisor. An outstanding insurance agent may not be a good corporate trainer. You get the picture.

The intentions of the hiring managers were to provide the best leadership for the available positions. But, the job just did not fit the talents of the individual contributor. In fact, that outstanding salesperson, nurse, or agent would much rather be doing anything other than giving performance reviews.

It is your manager's responsibility to prevent this disaster from happening to you?

No! It is your responsibility to know and understand your talents, values, and desires. Then, your additional responsibility is to evaluate how these elements fit the requirements of the new position. If you find that there is a conflict within any of those three areas, you are destined to be miserable and chances are, you will not be successful.

One other fact to consider, not all people want to move up, and that is ok.

Some immediately find their niche and are happy, working to be the best in that one job. Of course, with the speed of change in today's workplace, niche workers rarely survive for an entire career. Jobs and job responsibilities evolve into totally different areas of responsibility, which means the more flexible you are in your job often determines how marketable you will be in the future.

There are three tests you can give yourself to determine if you should pursue the next opportunity. Does the new position pass the talent test, values test, and desire test?

Here is how you can tell:

"The Talent Test"

Everyone has talents. These talents vary from person to person but everyone has areas of excellence. The key to job satisfaction and long term success is discovering what your talents are and becoming the best at putting these talents to work.

Your greatest area of expertise may be in your current job, nothing wrong with that. If this is the case and you are reaching your goals, great! But if you have talents that exist beyond your current position, you're cheating yourself and your employer by not pursuing advancement.

But, a word of caution: Don't confuse talent with desire.

TALENT is being naturally gifted in a certain area. It may be writing, selling, auditing, human relations, nursing... whatever. DESIRE is something you like to happen.

For instance, I would love to be an artist. I have that desire and I am willing to work twelve hours a day to make it happen. The problem is, I'm not a very good painter and, frankly, I do not think anyone would ever pay for my work. No matter how much I want it or how hard I work for it, I will never make a living as an artist. I would be thrilled to have some of my work chosen to hang in a museum, but that will never happen. I assure you, the museum would not be a place that you would pay to go see if my work was featured.

What I realize is this: My talents are in other areas and this is where I need to spend my energy.

So, where are your areas of excellence? What activities are seldom boring, even when you are doing the same thing over and over? What do others say that you are especially good at doing? What comes naturally to you? What skills feel good, comfortable when you use them?

Discover those areas and focus on finding the right place, the right job, that relies on your "talent," your gifts.

The Values Test

You probably know more than one extremely intelligent, successful person who is totally miserable because their job clashes with their personal values. Maybe the job requires constant travel and time away from family. Or, they have to work a schedule that keeps them away from the family. The money may be great, but that person my be under constant stress because of their desire for more time at home.

Somewhere along the way, you will probably face a tough decision: Are you willing to sacrifice your personal values for short-term gain?

Before pursuing your next position, that next step up, know yourself and your values. Then check out what the position requires and make sure that it won't create a "values clash." You may have to make trade-offs in some areas, but at least take the time to fully understand what's involved in this giving-and-taking process.

The Desire Test

"Do I really want this promotion?" Only you know that answer. If that next job is something that fits into your long range plan, go for it. If it does not help you achieve your personal goals, let others pursue it.

There is a price tag on every job. The price may involve taking time out to develop new skills. It may also contain a component called "fear of the unknown." It may put you in the position of becoming the manager of current associates or many other not-so-comfortable situations.

The message here? Take the time to evaluate the price you may be called upon to pay and match it up with your desires, values, and talents.

It's good to remember this: Life is too short not to be happy and too long not to do well!

If you have a talent that coincides with your values and you have a desire for that next job, go for it with all your have. However, if the results of any of the three test - talent,value, and desire - are not positive, ass on this opportunity and continue preparing for the job where you will be more successful.

I will end this here and pick the next part up in my next post!!!