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Changing Careers for Changing Times

Changing Careers for Changing Times. Central Iowa STC Linda Oestreich, March 23, 2006. Who am I?. Manager, Technical Publications, HP/Peregrine STC Fellow STC 2 nd Vice-President Houston and San Diego member SIGs: International, Technical Editing, Management Booklover (bookcrossing.com)

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Changing Careers for Changing Times

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  1. Changing Careers for Changing Times Central Iowa STC Linda Oestreich, March 23, 2006

  2. Who am I? • Manager, Technical Publications, HP/Peregrine • STC Fellow • STC 2nd Vice-President • Houston and San Diego member • SIGs: International, Technical Editing, Management • Booklover (bookcrossing.com) • Contact me:www.lindao.orgw: 858-720-5437 Oestreich: 03/23/06

  3. Overview • Understand how careers develop • Find your career best • Test your career-change championship • Wrap-up and questions Oestreich: 03/23/06

  4. Career Management Model • Based on article by Kurt Sandholtz, Novations Group, Inc., a Provo, Utah, company that helps organizations design & implement career-development systems • From research by Harvard Business School professors, Gene Dalton and Paul Thompson Handout: A Career Management Model, Dr. Dobb’s Journal, Fall 1998. Developing long-term employability by Kurt Sandholtz. www.developercareers.com/ddj/articles/1998 Oestreich: 03/23/06

  5. Assumptions • Ancient pyramid no longer exists in career development. • Companies are flattening the management structure. • We understand what we should do for success of a project, but not what’s needed for our long-term development. Oestreich: 03/23/06

  6. Some Companies That Use Model • Monsanto • 3M • Exxon/Mobil • Amoco • Intel • DuPont • Sandia National Laboratories Oestreich: 03/23/06

  7. Four Stages of a Career • Apprentice • Independent • Mentor • Visionary Oestreich: 03/23/06

  8. Apprentice: Depending on Others • Work is never entirely your own. • Your assignment is part of a larger effort. • You are expected to do most of the detailed and routine work for your part of the contribution. • You have to earn the trust of your manager and colleagues. Oestreich: 03/23/06

  9. Requirements for Apprentice • Accept supervision and direction willingly. • Exercise initiative and creativity within a well-defined area. • Work with a mentor to learn organization savvy. Oestreich: 03/23/06

  10. Independent: Going it Alone • Assume responsibility for a definable portion of a work or process. • Work independently and produce results that are recognized as your own. • Develop credibility and a reputation for competent work. • Manage more of your own time and be more accountable for outcomes. Oestreich: 03/23/06

  11. Requirements for Independent • Rely less on supervisor or mentor for direction. • Become true team player. • Willingly share information with fellow team members. • Develop solid technical foundation and confidence in your own judgment. • Cultivate your own standards of performance. Oestreich: 03/23/06

  12. Mentor: Helping Others • Equip others with tools, knowledge, and opportunity they need to succeed. • Take personal interest in careers of others and help their development. • Lead multiperson projects, but may not have management responsibilities. • Think creatively and be well-networked. Oestreich: 03/23/06

  13. Requirements for Mentor • Ability to contribute through others. • Develop greater breadth of technical skills and apply them across multiple areas. • Build a network outside own workgroup. • Become involved in the stimulation of others through ideas and information. • Exhibit strong interpersonal skills. • Willing to pull away from strictly technical work. Oestreich: 03/23/06

  14. Visionary: Organizational Leader • Exercise significant influence over critical decisions in the organization. • Help shape future direction of the company. • Represent the organization in wide and varied interactions inside and outside the organization. • Sponsor promising people who might fill future key roles in the organization. • Maintain extensive network outside organization. • Attain broadening perspective and lengthening time horizons. Oestreich: 03/23/06

  15. Requirements for Visionary • Champion new systems, processes, and operating principles that improve productivity. • Work closely with management or peers to help sell ideas. • Understand what builds the organization’s ability to compete in the marketplace. • See new business opportunities and assemble the buy-in, money, and staff to pursue them (entrepreneur). Oestreich: 03/23/06

  16. Visionary as Sponsor • Influence direction of the organization through by selecting and developing key people. • Make sure key people are not stagnating on unchallenging projects. Oestreich: 03/23/06

  17. Points to Note • Research shows that less than 5% of an organization’s workforce functions as Visionary (Stage 4) • As much as 60% of a workforce at any one time is in Stage 2 and making valuable contributions as independent. • Making a temporary transition to an earlier development stage is often essential to long-term career growth! Oestreich: 03/23/06

  18. Managers by Stage Over Time Oestreich: 03/23/06

  19. Questions? Comments? Oestreich: 03/23/06

  20. What was your best-ever job? Oestreich: 03/23/06

  21. Doing the impossible Being challenged Having autonomy Seeing importance of your work Learning something new Working with a great team Having solid management support Having clear goals Doing something new Using creativity Owning whole task Feeling recognized Why did it give you career satisfaction? Oestreich: 03/23/06

  22. Passions Talents OrganizationNeeds Think TOP for Career Best Oestreich: 03/23/06

  23. Talents • Innate abilities • Inborn strengths • Things you do naturally well • You just “have a knack” for it! Oestreich: 03/23/06

  24. Organization Needs • Job contribution • What you do adds value • What you do helps company improve • What you do helps others in company improve Oestreich: 03/23/06

  25. Passions • Work offers a heart connection. • Work fascinates, stimulates, captivates, enthralls you. • Something you’d do even if you weren’t paid! Oestreich: 03/23/06

  26. TOP equation Talents + Organization Need + Passion = Career Best! (Take TOP assessment!) Oestreich: 03/23/06

  27. Two out of three? • Talents + Organization Needs – Passion = STUCK • Organization Needs + Passion – Talents = INCOMPETENCE • Talents + Passion – Organization Needs = OCCUPATIONAL HOBBY (take test to see if you’re at a career best) Oestreich: 03/23/06

  28. Questions? Oestreich: 03/23/06

  29. Changing Careers • Some can; some can’t • Ability to take leap of faith • Needs superior social skills • Possess resilience, versatility, and an ability to exploit serendipity • Incorporate failures into advantages • Learn from mistakes • Willingness to leave “comfort zone” Handout: Are you a career-change champion? Oestreich: 03/23/06

  30. To summarize—Position Yourself for “Luck” • Get thee to the valley or the city or the . . . • Work, work, work. • Battle the bad luck. • Get and stay positive. • Do what you love. • Do core, not context. From “Getting Chance to Dance” by Michelle Jeffers, www.forbes.com/asap, 11.27.00 Oestreich: 03/23/06

  31. Final Thoughts? Oestreich: 03/23/06

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