Career management is an important responsibility we have. We are all the CEOs of our own little enterprise. We are in charge to set the strategic direction, to ensure that our market value is increasing, to monitor trends and opportunities and to make bold decisions when needed. So you see, it’s a tough job to be a CEO! This video outlines how to best manage that.
I would like to talk to the CEO please! Yes, could I please speak to the CEO? Well, maybe only a few of you have spontaneously responded: Yes, it’s me, what can I do for you? But I believe that we are all the CEO. I speak about this one men or women company that we are heading. We are indeed the CEOs of our own little enterprise. I am for example the CEO of the Sven Sommerlatte Inc.
Components of career management
Don’t wait for your line manager or for HR to take care of your career. Managing our careers is first and foremost our own responsibility. As CEOs of our little enterprise we are fully in charge of defining the strategic orientations for our enterprise, we have to decide in which markets we want to operate, what competitive advantages we need to develop and how to ensure that we maintain our competitive edge. Finally, making the right investment decisions into our development and strengthening our brand are critical. These are the key components of career management.
Making the right choices at the right time requires being in constant observation based on market data and benchmark information. We need to monitor the trends and look out for opportunity, especially where disruptive changes may reshuffle the landscape and allow us to position ourselves. In some cases that will require bold decisions and risk taking.
Career management governance
So you see, we have a lot on our plate! To cope with that, the right career management governance should be put in place. I would recommend a monthly strategic review meeting with ourselves. Give the limited number of people attending these meetings, an hour is usually enough. Don’t forget the meeting minutes and the follow up on action plans!
It’s a tough job to be a CEO, don’t you think so? In order to be reminded of this responsibility, I have decided to print my CEO business cards. Maybe you could think about doing that as well. I wish all every success as CEO!
More information in my book:
Sven Sommerlatte : Successful Career Strategy – An HR Practitioner’s Guide to Reach Your Dream Job (Springer, June 2023). ISBN: 978-3-662-66790-3
[…] 3 steps, you should review it on a regular basis as outlined in my article on that topic (Link: Your are the CEO of your little enterprise). I wish you every success in your career […]