Culture Matters: Building the Wise Firm

Managers are responsible for other’s performance and growth. It’s part of the gig. You can’t deny it, avoid it or hide from it. This means when we take on this role we must shift our perspective in a big way.

It was a Monday afternoon in October when I received the text, “mama I miss you.” I wasn’t surprised by it and had even come to recognize the polarized feelings that followed. The knife in the stomach knowing my daughter, a freshman at Southeast Missouri State, was lonely and sad, contrasted with the feeling of relief that she still needed me at the age of 19. As I managed this emotional dichotomy, I quickly picked up my phone to fire off a response before my next meeting. Despite the fact I thought I knew what was driving my daughter’s dilemma I didn’t want to make any assumptions. “I miss you too, sugar…what’s going on?” Claire’s response, “I’m lonely.” Followed by mine, “I know it’s hard right now. How about if we brainstorm some ideas tonight after school and work?” She agreed. 

Last week, I shared the first 10 takeaways for owning your career in Part 1 of this blog series. So, below are the next 10 tips to take your success into your own hands and own your career.

Taking ownership for your career is critical to your success whether you are brand new to the workforce or a seasoned veteran. As Full Potential Coach, I consistently see that people who lean in to embrace the empowerment that comes with taking the initiative to gain clarity, make choices and act on their career are more engaged and happy at work.

2017 came on strong. You set new goals, discussed them with your team for input and maybe even captured them somewhere to help keep you accountable. So there you are, full of energy and ready to shoot for the stars.