Evaluating your own career goals is a crucial step for your personal and professional growth. It helps you identify your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges, as well as align your actions with your values and vision. In this article, you will learn how to evaluate your own career goals using a simple framework and some practical tips.
The first step to evaluate your own career goals is to define them clearly and specifically. What do you want to achieve in your career? How do you measure your success? What are the short-term and long-term milestones that you need to reach? Write down your goals using the SMART criteria: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. This will help you focus on what matters and avoid vague or unrealistic expectations.
Como Mentora de Carreira sempre oriento meus Mentorados, Gerentes e Diretores, a fazerem uma "Valida??o da Empresa e Cargo", a partir de 4 Pilares: Cultura Organizacional, Desafios do Cargo, Rela??o com sua Lideran?a Imediata e Remunera??o. Posteriormente, identifique pelo menos 4 indicadores de como esses pilares de manifestam no seu dia-dia na organiza??o em que está. Pontue de 0 a 10 seu nível de satisfa??o em cada um desses 16 aspectos. Se a média for inferior a 8, está na hora de pensar sobre uma Transi??o de Carreira. Se for acima de 8, está na hora de se preparar para uma promo??o.
Ideally identify your long-term goals first and then work on the short term goals that should be aligned somehow with what you are planning to achieve long term. Example: You're an accountant and want to become CFO in 10 years (long term). Your goal is to enroll in a executive finance course (short term)
Being clear about what you want to achieve in your career will help you to focus and set a clear direction. The "Define Your Goals" process helps you set Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART) goals by detailing your aspirations, values, and skills. With clearly defined goals, you can develop a more effective career development plan, measure progress, and make informed decisions throughout your career. It will also help you maintain a balance between your professional and personal life and ensure that each step you take is in line with your long-term vision.
I believe even before defining goals, it is important to set first intentions that align with your values, your guiding principles and your desired emotional state. Then focus on specific achievements. Example: Your goal could be: Attaining a senior leadership position within 2 years. Your Intentions: cultivate leadership skills and maintain a healthy work-life harmony while pursuing career advancements.
Its important to have HOLISTIC Set of Goals for Personal Growth, Prosperity and Harmony. Why? reason only unidirectional goal/s related to Career, Financial, Education, etc. may not provide a complete perspective of How to achieve Goals. What is the first step of Goal Setting irrespective your Age, Gender, Caste, Creed, Profession.... according to me start of GOAL Setting is a Realistic Assessment of where you Stand currently? Lets take a quick example of if you just starting your Corporate Career then there isnt much to worry, however if you are Middle/Senior Management Professional then understanding the Past & listing a few learnings are of paramount importance as they decide Road Ahead...once you know the Direction Jobs Half Done!!!!!!!
The next step to evaluate your own career goals is to assess your current situation. Where are you now in relation to your goals? What are the gaps and the strengths that you have? What are the external and internal factors that affect your performance? You can use a SWOT analysis to examine your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This will help you identify your areas of improvement and leverage your competitive advantages.
An assessment of your current situation is an essential part of any evaluation of your own career goals. It helps you understand where you stand, identify strengths and weaknesses, and assess how close you are to achieving previous goals. It allows you to make more accurate goal adjustments by providing a clear perspective on the state of your career. It also helps to ensure that the next steps you take are in line with existing conditions, by helping you to identify opportunities and challenges that may affect your career path.
Once you know the BAGGAGE of your past experiences it makes your feel light. SWOT Analysis of Current Ecosystem e.g. Your chosen Profession is fueling growth, providing the needed Financial impetus, making you think passionately and energetic all the times. If there is something you need to create, develop, learn, etc. to counter the weakness within your profile then Goal setting exercise provides you with that opportunity. Important element which we always ignore during a SWOT is threat piece which may sometimes seem very unrealistic or situational however thats the key to bringing accuracy in Goal setting exercise. E.g. Advent of AI/ML/GPT may seem quite fictional but its important evaluation of your future role/s i.e. possible extinction
Assessment is always an amazing first step to identify what, how and when you want to achieve personal goals with your current situation. Think of your skills gaps, current experiences and vision of where you want your career direction to go, so you can position proactively. Think about things you are passionate about in your chosen path. Use SWOT analysis to give you a clear picture of your abilities and to know where you need improvement with current skills. Leverage with the things you are very good at and stay resilient in case of challenges or failures.
Once the intentions and the goals are defined and getting clearer, it is important to know your baseline, where you are starting from. When using GPS or any directions map, it starts from current location to take you to the destination, if the current location is not accurate, the pathway to the destination won’t be either. Start by conducting a skills and competencies audit. Evaluate your existing strengths, areas for development, skills gaps relevant to your desired career path, and also the set of transferable skills when applicable. A coach can help you to assess objectively your competencies and to identify your strengths and areas for improvement.
The third step to evaluate your own career goals is to plan your actions. How will you bridge the gaps and overcome the challenges that you face? What are the resources and support that you need? What are the steps and tasks that you need to complete? You can use a SMART action plan to outline your strategies, tactics, and deadlines. This will help you prioritize your activities and track your progress.
GOAL Setting reaches intense stage of Topsy-turvy exercise i.e. Upside Down.Balancing act between three realms of LIFE puzzle viz. PAST-PRESENT-FUTURE. Past is done deal, Present is MIRROR shown by the realistic SWOT and Future is Expectations, Dreams. Once we exactly know How far could we go with current ammo. Lets plan to understand What needs to be done to achieve our Dreams; is it Training Education? Any specific short term - medium tasks to be achieved? Planning a Long Term Strategy? These questions are critical to Goal setting without which the entire exercise is Futile. Sit down to Write the GOALS along side an Corresponding Action with Milestone based strategies, Tollgate reviews, Result Oriented approach, Success Formula Design.
Identify action for each goal, otherwise nothing will happen. It's important to identify the right action, actions that effectively move the needle. Avoid planning too many actions as this will probably hinder you to get started.
The intentions, goals and current situation being clear, now is time to start driving towards your destination. Think of it as a journey with a sequence of multiple achievable milestones. Create a sequence of actions and prioritize them based on their significance and interdependence to achieve each milestone. Hold yourself accountable and assign realistic timelines to each action while keeping the agility to review and revise regularly. While developing your action plan think also contingency plans by anticipating potential challenges and thinking of alternatives ways to address them proactively.
Evaluating and refining career goals involves strategic planning and intentional actions. Take stock of your aspirations, skills, and values. Define clear, achievable goals and break them into actionable steps. Regularly assess progress and be adaptable, adjusting your plan as needed. By actively planning and reassessing, you empower yourself to align actions with career objectives, ensuring continuous growth and fulfillment.
Evaluation of goals you want to achieve and use of SMART objectives to work through the plan of action. Add realistic questions like; how to balance goals with family life, work and other responsibilities? What needs to be priority on a scale of preference? How much time is needed and how much time you have to achieve these goals? Ensure that the strategy aligns with other external factors like family time, work, social activities and other interests to keep a good time management system. Think about the needed resources and how you can use digitalisation to stay efficient in a timely manner.
The fourth step to evaluate your own career goals is to review your results. How did you perform in relation to your goals? What did you achieve and what did you learn? What were the successes and the failures that you experienced? You can use a feedback loop to collect and analyze data, feedback, and insights from yourself and others. This will help you celebrate your achievements and learn from your mistakes.
Keep track of the progress, the results and the priorities (they might change over time). Haven't achieved the desired results? Don't worry, just sit down to figure out what happened and adjust the goals.
Real recipe for SUCCESS is reviewing your Goals its corresponding action, whether are you headed in right direction, any failures or overnight success which you encountered through the journey, feedback from Mentors, Colleagues. Sit back and analyze the action chart and find the missing links which could up the trajectory of your Goals. Its perfectly alright to tweak your Goals as you progress or even add/delete if you think right. Importantly, celebrate the achievements and success of your Goals / milestones so that we know that headed in right direction...its very very critical. If your Goals are Result Oriented and Focused on specifics then its possible that you may need to accelerate efforts mid-way..dont slow down efforts
Have a periodic review for each milestone to make needed adjustments of the whole action plan for continuous improvement. Celebrate and discuss achievements earned with mentor if you have one or get feedback from like-minded professionals or people in your network that can give constructive feedback. Address other factors that may have challenged your performance and how much you learnt. Evaluate the gaps, mistakes and failures, have new strategies to fix these in a positively manner using the feedback gathered.
Have a periodic review for each milestone to make needed adjustments of the whole action plan for continuous improvement. Celebrate and discuss achievements earned with mentor if you have one or get feedback from like-minded professionals or people in your network that can give constructive feedback. Address other factors that may have challenged your performance and how much you learnt. Evaluate the gaps, mistakes and failures, have new strategies to fix these in a positively manner using the feedback gathered.
The fifth step to evaluate your own career goals is to adjust your goals. How have your goals changed or evolved over time? What are the new opportunities and challenges that you face? What are the new skills and competencies that you need to develop? You can use a SMART goal setting process to revise and update your goals based on your current situation and future aspirations. This will help you stay flexible and adaptable to changing circumstances.
Whilst my own experience goes Career Goals may face significant headwinds even when your heading in the right direction because its situational with no fault of the individual. Thus when the path becomes tough either it means you need to Sharpen the Axe acquire new skills, etc. however if the Goal looks impossible to achieve its Human to change track and identify newer pastures instead of sticking to it realizing the efforts go in vain at a later time. Individual should show maturity to look at Bigger picture instead of sulking to the situation...MOVE ON. Over individual Career span of ~25-30 years its fine to adjust, adapt and acclimatize to changing Professional, Personal and Perimeter situations
Most important aspect of goal setting in changed circumstances, is identify what are major trends, which will affect positively or negatively ones career path, job opportunities. This is some kind of SWOT analysis of self & surroundings. Once trends, major changes are anticipated, next key initiative has to come from within to prepare oneself & learn, acquire skill sets. Another key area of working on oneself is expanding ones comfort zone,through experimentation, trials,attempts. A life long learning attitude & applying learning in our day to day life is best way forward.
The sixth step to evaluate your own career goals is to seek guidance. Who can help you achieve your goals and improve your performance? What are the sources and channels of feedback and advice that you can access? How can you benefit from coaching and mentoring? You can use a network map to identify and connect with people who can support, challenge, and inspire you. This will help you enhance your skills, knowledge, and confidence.
-Talk to others: Discuss your goals with mentors, colleagues, or trusted friends. Their insights and perspectives can be valuable. -Reflection prompts: Ask yourself questions like "What do I hope to achieve in my career?" or "What would success look like to me?". Journaling can also be helpful. -Career assessments: Consider using career assessment tools or personality tests to gain deeper self-awareness and identify potential career paths.
In seeking guidance aim for seeking to be helped not to be pleased. Assess clearly if you need a coach, a mentor, or both. Share your intentions and your goals to ensure that you are getting the needed support. Do not worry about asking for help, there are many individuals there who are passionate about helping others.
My goals 30 years ago were superficial, shaped by societal expectations and my naiveté. In retrospect, whatever long-term plans I originally had didn't unfold as expected, and it was unreasonable to think they would. The world of work's rapid evolution demands values over goals. Embrace short-term plans as long as you're not attached to them. Constantly assess the current landscape and be ready to pivot when it makes sense based on what's important to you in your work. Values, not plans, guide your career journey. Trust your compass rather than a specific route on the map. In this way, you'll feel good about where you're going regardless of exactly how you get there.
Goals are a definition how can I define myself when I am possibilities. The only success plan that I have is everyday when I get up I am more wonderful. When I get up I am more silent and more listening. I am doing better than the day before. I am catching myself to be less reactive and more responsive. I am trying to be with every moment. I am more inclusive and I am more OKAY for things that are not OKAY. I am more living NOW than in mind. Career happens you don't have to die or destroy yourself, whatever is in your hands just make it more beautiful and include in you and rest is taken care of. This is my personal stance if it all helps do let me know will be happy to be elaborative.
-No shame in change: Don't be afraid to modify your goals as you learn and grow. Your career path is not set in stone. -Celebrate progress: Recognize and celebrate your achievements, even small victories. This keeps you motivated and on track. -Regular check-ins: Schedule regular times to re-evaluate your goals and ensure they remain relevant and aligned with your evolving aspirations.
A model that I’ve designed and implement in leadership programs and with coaching or mentoring clients is LEAD! (L)ook: Encouraging individuals to engage in deep self-reflection to identify their true passions and strengths. (E)stablish: Guiding them to define clear, achievable career goals. (A)dapt: Stressing the importance of flexibility and the need for continuous learning and exploration in their professional journey. (D)evelop: Focusing on the creation of a strategic plan, regular progress monitoring, and the value of feedback for ongoing development. This model not only facilitates personal growth but also aligns well with leadership development, making it a valuable tool for your clients and programs.