Book Review #32
Surprisingly few people have a clear strategy for their career says Dr. Sven Sommerlatte in his book 'Successful Career Strategy' and he says this is astonishing, considering the fact that many of these individuals have significant business responsibility in the companies they work for.
Hearing me lament some months ago 🙆♂️, my friend and mentor Rakesh Vashishta asked me to read this book and the over the holidays nudged me to summarize its key takeaways for our professional network also. So here it goes
- First step, before pushing on the career accelerator, each one of us should first reflect on our aspirations. Critically, know the difference between Aspiration and Ambition? Ambition is driven by the spirit of competition whereas Aspiration is rooted in your deep desire. Ambition vanishes once the target is reached. But Aspiration is an energy that sustains even after the target state has been reached & is an inner force that pulls you to aim for higher goals
- Write down your aspiration. Reflect whether, so far, you followed traditional vertical career progression. Is your current position aligned with your aspiration, strengths and personal preferences? Does your career allow you to bring yourselves fully in as a person now? With this assessment, steer your career towards your aspiration or deeper desire
- Set up your personal 'Career Advisory Board' that should meet at least once per year (carefully select members of this board). This annual board meeting will be an opportunity to update your career plan and ensure that the advice you have received is properly integrated
- Sven's analogy of Egyptian pyramids to explain experience base is helpful. If you have a broad base, the pyramid can be high. With career progression it is similar: if you have a broad experience base, then you will be able to go higher in your career. Factoring all your personal constraints, expose yourself to various roles, functions, geographies as early as possible in your career (Personally, I am not sure if this strategy will always work for those in knowledge services companies)
The major guiding principles are elaborated beautifully in the book as a step by step process.
1. Introspect and define your career aspiration (spend a month to do this)
2. Manage your experience base (if you want to go high widen your base)
3. Assess your experience and competence gap (identify and create a plan)
4. Monitor new opportunities (seek out opportunities. Assessment of roles and companies requires significant due diligence that Sven elaborates in his chapters)
5. Be audacious! (its not always a sequential path. Be bold to seek bigger opportunities)
And finally, planning for your career should be a recurring activity.
Read this book less for penmanship/prose-style but for the sound practical advice from a HR leader who has guided many successful careers. In my case, I wish I read this book 15 years ago.
#bookreview #careers #aspiration
