By Maurice Gilbert
When you were a kid, you probably had two kinds of board games in your toy box. Games that were all about luck (Chutes & Ladders, Candy Land, Parcheesi) and games that required more skill (Monopoly, Risk, Chess).
Beating your little brother at games was satisfying whether or not you had to strain your brain, but chances are you did a better job sinking his battleship when you plotted your moves carefully, strategically and offensively.
It’s the same with your career.
Hey, we’re not knocking luck. Sometimes the golden apple falls right on your head. But most of the time? You have to play the career-advancement game strategically. In other words, you have to make your own luck.
Here are 4 ways to be a winner:
Manage your own morale
In today’s flat organization, don’t look to senior management to be your cheerleader. Maybe they’ll toss some goodies your way from time to time (Starbucks gift cards! Bouncy balls instead of chairs!), but 99 percent of the time, your attitude is your own responsibility. Figure out how to self-motivate and you’ll clobber your competition. Trust me.
Be deliberate in changing employers
If your learning and career growth options have stalled, look elsewhere. Remember the kid who used to say, “I’m taking my ball and I’m going home?” Sometimes you have to be that kid.
Take initiative
Take a bold step in becoming a leader. Offer to lead an important project or volunteer to give a presentation on a topic you want to know more about. In other words, when the team asks, “Who wants to be ‘it’?” your answer is, “Me!”
Create work/life balance
All work and no play…you know the rest. You can’t play the game with dead batteries, so be sure to take time away to re-charge.
Got it? Now go out there and crush it.
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Published by Conselium Executive Search, the global leader in compliance search.
