No One Can Pee for You! Owning Your Development and the Role YOU Play.

Why owning your development is more critical now than ever?

The wisest woman I’ve ever met used to always say, “No one can pee for you”. Thanks Mom!

Don't Leave Your Career in the Outhouse

While it wasn’t my favorite thing to hear, it always made it perfectly clear what she meant in any given situation when she would bark that response back to me in my inevitable reason for nudging her to “fix” whatever problem I was bringing her way. Yes, she loved me. Yes, she wanted me to succeed or win. Yes, she wanted me to feel safe and protected. And yet, life hands you difficulties that only YOU can handle. And it is in the handling of these situations where you begin to develop your grit, courage and find your voice. 

We are all doing things very differently in today’s environment. Gone are the days of meeting someone for coffee or lunch in order to connect and build relationships while “breaking bread” together. Whether you are working in the office, hybrid, or from home, managing kids school, caring for your loved ones while juggling meeting after meeting, or looking for a new job because your job (maybe even industry) no longer exists, it’s easy to lose sight of something critically important to your success- YOU!

Trust me, I’ve heard it all. As a Human Resources professional for over 20+ years, there is likely no excuse or reason I haven’t heard. “I’m too busy” has become some badge of honor people wear around as if it validates their reason for not prioritizing, making excuses, or simply procrastinating. The jig is up!

YOU are in the driver’s seat of your development and your career. Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you think about what steps you need to take to continue growing and developing in today’s environment.

Define your goals

·       What are your development goals right now and for future opportunities?

Leverage your strengths

·       What are your strengths?

·       What do you do really well?

·       What brings you joy and passion to your work?

Take Stock- experiences, knowledge, skills, and abilities

·       What kind of projects or assignments should you be working on to achieve your goals?

·       What key knowledge, skills, and abilities do you need to develop in order to succeed?

·       What are the resources you can leverage to acquire the necessary/expanded knowledge, skills, and abilities?

Create a Plan

·       What actions do you need to take to achieve your goals?

·       What support do you need? From whom?

·       What are your milestones to measure success? 

Remember to leverage your resources. There are lots of online tools, course work available, etc. Also, think about your network and who you can leverage to help you gain new experiences, skills, and capabilities. You do have to take action. But you don’t have to do it alone. Ask for someone to be your “Accountability Partner”. Yes, people love you. Yes, people want you to succeed or win. Yes, people want you to feel safe and protected. And yet, life hands you difficulties that only YOU can handle. Maybe you need a bathroom break?