How To Get Better Career Advice
Best paired with Working 9-5 by Dolly Parton
In the words of Adam Grant, psychologist and author, “If you want to get better career advice, you can start by reflecting on what you would tell someone else with a similar question. Listen to the advice you give to others. It’s usually the advice you need to take yourself. And it might be the best way to motivate yourself, too.” (New York Times, April 2020)
For women in particular, career advice means investing in self-reflection in order to gain a more accurate overview of their talents, strengths and values. These are essential pillars in career conversations that support individual transformation. Women need to have a clearer understanding of their contribution and impact through the eyes of others to be successful. The reflected best self-exercise (RBS) offers the option to contrast self-perception with reality.
RBS (It’s a dry sounding acronym but it is a powerful exercise) involves 4 simple steps which focus on identifying your strengths, particularly when you are at your best.
Step 1. Seek feedback from multiple sources, partners, bosses, peers.
Step 2. Collate and identify themes from your multi-feedback givers. What are the common ideas? What surfaces several times over?
Step 3. Map out your qualities and conditions under which your strengths appeared, i.e. under what conditions do you thrive (small teams, high pressure environments, outdoors?)
Step 4. Reimagine your role. Are there any strengths that you can incorporate, increase and use to move you in your chosen direction? Alternatively, what are the gaps you might be looking to close to be more aligned with your strengths.
Getting better career advice often starts with clearing your calendar and blocking time, even if you simply don’t want to at this point. Read How To Make Yourself Work When You Just Don’t Want To, it will help get you over that hurdle.
Investing in a review of your own career journey career path is the best advice to try today.
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