CareerTalk
September 2007 - Thanks for the raise but - how am I doing, really?
It's a little like ballroom dancing - a nervous couple, tripping over their steps,
not too sure who's leading. Whether it's the 'annual tango' or the 'daily cha cha cha',
managers and staff are rarely comfortable with the giving and receiving of feedback.
No surprise that the process often falls through the cracks
and many young
professionals end up 'working in a vacuum'.
How to turn that around then - to get the prudent feedback you need to grow as
a professional without being 'a pest'. And, while you're at it - how best to orchestrate
your annual review. Meet Cal.
A bright-eyed city planner (& thoughtful urban activist), Cal had snagged his
entry-level position right out of university. Year #1 had gone smoothly (he thought)
- a 'satisfactory' performance review, a wage hike, a growing sense of confidence.
Cal had been patient - working hard and staying 'under the radar'.
When his department launched a 'green official plan' initiative, Cal was
exhilarated - finally a chance to do 'real' planning. Eco-density, walking neighbourhoods,
urban food production - these were issues Cal thrived on. After months of processing
rezoning applications and holding developers' hands, he was ready!
When he wasn't 'tapped' for the project Cal was stunned
and bewildered. He was sure
everyone knew how much he coveted this project (although he'd never openly expressed an
interest). Was there some kind of message here? Now he didn't know what to think or
where to turn.
When he came to me as a client Cal was in a total panic - wondering if he'd
'screwed up' big time
and was about to be fired. He wanted advice on how to pre-empt
the 'inevitable'.
THE RESULTS
Our initial discussions brought the temperature down a bit
and diffused some of
his underlying anxiety. It was a booming city, an expanding department, everyone
scrambling to 'keep up' - no surprise that employee feedback was minimal. You were
expected to solve your own problems and pitch in.
Cal had simply followed along - quietly completing assignments without discussion
- a bit unsure but hoping all was well. As a career strategy it may have been naοve,
but hardly fatal. It was far from clear that he was about to be fired.
Cal needed a new mindset - one that put him in control of his own professional
development. That meant learning how to get (& give) feedback and orchestrate
increasing responsibility based on improvement. But first we needed to clear up
what was really going on at work.
Were they genuinely unhappy with him
or was it simply a case of not having the
right experience? Had he been getting the experience he needed
and what was it at
this stage? Cal had no idea! He needed to do a bit of web research and talk to people.
His professional association (Planning Institute of BC) provided some answers
and
a 'road map' for new graduates to follow. Cal discovered that his duties had not evolved
into the 'responsible professional planning experiences' that were required. And
(not surprisingly), the suggested logbook detailing these experiences and supervisory
feedback had never been started. He had some catching up (& a bit of 'managing up') to do!
The good news was that Cal's newly promoted manager was a certified planner - a full
member in good standing with the PIBC. Cal decided to approach him about joining the
association
and use the discussion as a springboard to the topic of his interest
in the new project
and his career. But, he was really nervous about this
conversation - he needed a game plan!
Two weeks later, with careful preparation (& a bit of role playing), Cal approached
the meeting with fresh ideas and a 'proposal'. And
. things went better than expected!
Turned out that his manager was more than enthusiastic about Cal taking initiative.
With a 10 year, multimillion dollar project to tackle, he needed all the committed
professionals he could find. His impression of Cal was shifting
and he found himself
paying attention - wondering how to harness Cal's enthusiasm.
He was also pleased to be provided with a ready-made 'template' (from the PIBC)
to help Cal with his development. With Cal doing the lion's share of the work
(weekly updates, log book entries), he could see this as a win-win situation.
Mentoring sessions would do double-duty when it came time for annual reviews - fostering
a more authentic (& streamlined) process. Cal emerged with new confidence
and a
'buffet of opportunities'.
As corporations better understand the need for professional development, managers
are starting to see the benefits of informal, ongoing feedback. As young professionals
(like Cal) become more career self-reliant, they'll need to help orchestrate the
process - communicating often and openly about their progress and doing the 'legwork' on
what experiences they need.
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